Today’s top store deal

That I’m not the only person who goes hungry to Costco and accidentally leaves with a 2 lb block of cheese and an extremely large bag of popcorn? Make me feel better — what have you impulse bought there lately? lol

I was more successful shopping today at CVS and ALDI — can’t pass up a $.69 avocado week! At CVS, I did the Blue Diamond almonds deal. They were BOGO at $4.79 at my store, so net $2.37 for both after coupon, tax, and cash back. At ALDI I spent $7.34 on 8 avocados and a 3 lb bag of apples, with $.25 back from Checkout 51 for apples.

I had all sorts of shaving coupons from the magic machine and it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a good Schick Hydro 5 deal, soooo….

Schick Hydro 5 razor, $11.99. Used $3.00/1 from the 2/22 SS.
Schick Hydro 5 refill, $15.99 (tagged $14.99, but hey). Used $3.00/1 from the 2/22 SS and $3.00/1 from the magic machine.
Sure deodorant, $2.00. Used $1.00/1 from the 3/22 SS. (Tried to use a 30% off deodorant CVS coupon, but apparently it was only for regular price even though it didn’t say so. I should have assumed, lol.)

Used $4/$25 shaving stuff coupon from the magic machine and $14 in ECB. Paid $4.12 and got back $11 in ECB ($1.00 for Sure and $10 for Schick) for a net cost of $7.12.

Boy do I miss the self checkouts at Ultra. Even though they seem less busy than they used to be, every time I go they have like three lanes open and they are all out into the aisles… well… bread, given that this is the weird Ultra layout.

So anyway, I was driving by Ultra and decided to stop in and check their Redbox since I have a free code. Nothing there for us (and my beautiful dairy clearance section seems to have completely disappeared?), but I did get two bananas ($.40), two bottles Mott’s juice ($1.00 each after exp. $1.00/1 in the 1/11 SS2) and two clearance packs of thick cut Farmland pork chops ($1.46 after attached store coupons and $3.00/2 manufacturer tearpad). That’s $4.11, all together.

Also stopped by CVS today — they sent me a daylight savings time $6/$30 coupon in email, so how can you pass up the chance to use that? Plus, we needed milk!

2 Halls cough drops, $3.00. Used $1.00/2 from the 2/8 SS, and will get back $1.00 from Checkout 51.
Dean’s milk, $2.99. Used $.50/1 from the magic machine (price scanner) and already got back $.25 on Ibotta.
York peppermint pattie, $1.19. Will get $1.19 back on SavingStar.
Physicians Formula mascara, $9.99. Used $3.00/1 from the magic machine.
2 John Frieda hair colour, $24.00. Used $3.00/2 from the 3/1 SS.

Used the $6/$30 email coupon and $25.87 in ECB. Paid $3.94 and got back $14 in ECB ($1.00 milk, $1.00 cough drops, $7.00 Physicians Formula, $5.00 hair color) for a net cost of $15.81. Will get back another $1.00 from Checkout 51, $.25 from Ibotta, and $1.19 from SavingStar, making my final net cost $13.37.

Did you ever have one of those mornings where everything takes 10x longer than it should? The ALDI portion of mine was at least mercifully quick, though. The above came to $9.99 — I have another one of those pork roasts from when they were cheap at Jewel a couple of weeks ago, so am thinking I’ll make another batch of carnitas because they were soooo good the first time around.

This sale turns out to include the new Colgate Optic White Express White 3 oz tubes and the Colgate Optic White Platinum 3.4 oz tubes. So:

Buy five for $19.95.

Use five $2.00/1 from the 2/22 SS and $2.00/1 printable on Coupons.com. Note: The insert coupon includes both Express White and Platinum, while the printable is only for Express White. Both are limit four “like” coupons per day, so mix/match to get up to five with “unlike” printables + insert qs.

Pay $9.95 with $10 ECB back for a net cost of free for five tubes of fancy paste.

If you can’t get five coupons:

Buy three for $11.97.

Use three $2.00/1 coupons = $5.97.

Get back $5.00 ECB for a net cost of $.97 for all three, or $.32 each.

Paid with $3.00 ECB and $6.29. Got back $10.87 ECB ($10 for Colgate and $.87 for candy) for a net cost of: Up $1.58 this transaction. The way I figure, I’ll give away most of the paste and just keep whittling away at the net cost of the hair colour — which is what I really wanted today. Check your magic machine coupons to see if you can make this a money maker too, since they print oral care ones pretty often.

About Rachel

I’m a former librarian, now mashing up a new career as a freelance writer, editor, workshop leader, blogger — and mom to two boys! Mashup Mom launched in January 2009 to provide couponing, frugality, and work-at-home strategies and advice. Since I’m based in the Chicago area, you’ll find a lot of Illinois grocery store matchups here — but those of you outside of Illinois will also find so many ways to save, everywhere from national drugstore chains to Amazon.